Charlize Theron, 2026
Acrylic on linen
47.24 in. x 39.37 in. / 120 cm. x 100 cm.
Unique original work
Created for amfAR Dallas 2026
“When I learned that Charlize would be honored at amfAR Dallas, I knew immediately that I wanted to create her portrait.
“I’ve always been drawn to women who have strength without needing to announce it, and there is something about Charlize that has always felt incredibly self-assured to me. The reference image has an elegance to it, but I wasn’t interested in simply recreating a photograph. I wanted to find something of her character within it. Her gaze became particularly important as the work developed. There is beauty there, of course, but I wanted there to be resolve too, that quiet confidence of somebody who knows who she is and what she stands for.
“What makes Charlize particularly meaningful as a subject for this evening is how she has used her platform away from film. Through the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, she has spent almost two decades supporting the health and safety of young people in Southern Africa, including work around HIV prevention.
“The fact that Charlize will be in the room when the work is unveiled makes this particularly special for me. It isn’t simply a portrait of the evening’s honoree; it has been created specifically for this moment and for a cause that connects so closely with work she has supported herself.
“Knowing that something I’ve created can help support amfAR’s continued work makes this a very meaningful piece for me.”
—Zara Muse